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Kid President joins White House egg roll

Anne Walters and Gretel Johnston

Barack Obama got some assistance from a much younger "president" at the traditional White House Easter egg roll, as nine-year-old internet sensation "Kid President" joined in welcoming more than 35,000 people to the White House lawn.

Robby Novak, the African American boy whose inspirational YouTube videos have become an internet phenomenon, introduced the US president along with First Lady Michelle Obama and the rest of the family before offering handshakes to the crowds alongside the president.

Obama urged a group of young children along as they pushed eggs across the lawn with wooden spoons, asking: "Is everybody ready? You ready with your spoon?"

Novak then took on the task of blowing the whistle to start the race.

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Michelle Obama joked that the youngster would "spend a little time in the Oval Office, just fixing things up for this president, aren't you?"

Obama and his dog, Bo, later joined a group of children to read them the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.

The day's activities feature sports courts and cooking demonstrations aimed at helping educate families on healthy eating and exercise. First Lady Michelle has made the elimination of childhood obesity a goal of her Let's Move initiative.

The White House Easter egg roll tradition dates to 1878, when President Rutherford B Hayes first allowed children to roll their eggs on the White House lawn.

The event has been cancelled a few times since then because of bad weather and it was moved to other Washington landmarks during World War I and WWII.